Briqueting-machine



PATENTED FEB. 23, 1904.

L. BENSON& R. DB FOREST. BRIQUETING MACHINE. APPLICATION run-n MAY 7,1903. no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 1.

' ill WITNESSES: IJVENTORS. n

A TTORNE Y6.

v PATENTED-FEB;23,1904. L. BENSON & R. DE FOREST.

BRIQUETING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY '7, 1903. v

2 SHEETSSHEET 2' H0 MODEL.

WITNESSES.

V 2a I m: Nomgns PETERS'CD PHOTOUTHOV. WASHINGTON. DV 1:.

UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904. t

PATENT OFFICE.

BRlQUETlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,644, dated February23, 1904. Application filed May 7, 1903. Serial No, 156,044. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LOREN BENSON and RAY DE FOREST, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Fort Atkinson, county of Jefferson, and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements inBriquetingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a device for automaticallypressing butter, soap, and other similar substances into blocks or cakesof convenient size for handling; and it pertains, first, to the devicefor supporting a plurality of butter-receiving dies and bringing themsuccessively beneath a supply-tank; second, to means for automaticallydischarging the cakes when formed; third, to the device forautomatically actuating the piston by which the butter is forced intothe dies intermittingly while said dies are at rest and for moving saiddies while said piston is at rest; fourth, to the device for moving theplatform upon which the blocks of butter have been dischargedintermittingly as each block is forced thereon from its die.

The construction of our invention is further explained by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side view, andFig. 2 a plan view, part of both views being in section.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutboth views.

Our invention comprises a plurality of butter-receiving dies 1,revolubly supported from the periphery of a wheel 2 in such a mannerthat as said wheel revolves they are successively brought beneath thebutter-supply tank 3 preparatory to being filled with butter.

The butter-supply tank 3 is provided with a piston 41:, by which thebutter is forced from are forced inward by the pressure of the butteragainst them, as indicated in Fig. 1, and said pistons are retained insuch position by the mechanism hereinafter described until the dies arebrought from the vertical to the horizontal position, as indicated bythe arrow, preparatory to discharging the butter therefrom upon theplatform 7. hen, however, the dies are successively brought to thehorizontal position immediately above the platform 7, as indicated, saidpistons are released from the retaining mechanism, when they are thrownoutward by the recoil of the springs 6, whereby the butter is dischargedfrom the dies upon the platform. The device for retaining the pistons 5at the inner end of the dies against the recoil of the spring 6 consistsin the piston-rod 8, bracket 9, collars 10 and 11, and the circularflanges 12 12. The collar 10 is rigidly affixed to the piston-rodbetween the piston 5 and the bracket 9, and the spiral spring 6 isinterposed between the bracket 9 and said collar 10.

It will be understood that when the piston 5 is forced down by thepressure of the butter as it is forced into the die 1 said spring 6 willbe compressed and the collar 11 will be brought within the linedescribed by the circular flanges 12, whereby as the wheel 2' isrevolved the collars 11 will engage the inner surface of said circularflanges 1 2, and thus prevent the piston from being thrown outward bythe recoil of said spring 6 until the dies 1 are brought to thehorizontal position, that when said dies are successively brought to thehorizontal position, as indicated upon the right in Fig. 1, said collars11 are released from engagement with said flanges 12, when said pistons5 are thrown out by the recoil of said spring 6, as stated, and thebutter is forced from said dies upon the platform 7 as indicated. Thusit will be understood that each die is successively filled as they passbeneath the supply-tank. The pistons of said dies are successivelyretained in their inward position by the action of said flanges 12 whilepassing from the vertical to the horizontal position, and said pistonsare successively thrown outward andthe butter discharged from said dies,respectively, as they reach the horizontal position above the platform7,

An intermittent motion is communicated from the driving-wheel 13 to thedie-supporting wheel 2 through the shaft 20, segmental gear-wheel 14:,pinion 15, shaft 16, pinion 17,

- and the gear-wheel 18, which gear-wheel 18 is rigidly connectedwiththe side of the wheel 2. Thus it is obvious that while the teeth of thesegmental gear-wheel 14 are passing the pinion 15 said pinion and theparts actuated thereby will be revolved and that while the blank oruntoothed portion of said wheel is passing beneath the pinion 15 saidpinion 15 and the parts connected therewith remain at rest, whereby anintermittent movement is communicated to said die-supporting wheel 2from said driving-pulley 13, while the latter is continuously revolved.

To provide for actuating the piston 4 while the wheel 2 is at rest, wehave'provided the opposite side of the segmental gear-wheel 14 with asimilar segmental gear 21, which operates the pinion 22. (Shown in Fig.2.) Motion is communicated from said pinion 22 to the piston 4 throughthe shaft 23, sprocketwheel 24, sprocket-chain 25, sprocket-wheel 26,and screw-threaded shaft 27. The shaft 27 has screw-threaded bearings inthe bracket 28, whereby as the segmental gear 21 moves in contact withthe pinion 22 said screwthreaded shaft 27 is revolved in its bearingsand said piston 4 is forced downwardly against the butter in thesupply-tank 3. It will of course be understood that the teeth of thesegmental gear 21 are so arranged that they are brought in contact withthe pinion 22 just at the same instant that the gears 14 cease to actupon the pinion 15 and that the gears 14 will commence to act on thepinion 15 just the instant that the gears 21 cease to act upon thepinion 22, whereby said piston 4 and diesupporting wheel 2 will bealternately moved and brought to rest, when the dies will remain at restas they are being filled, and the piston will remain at rest as thefilled dies are being moved to the place of discharge.

To provide for preventing the blocks of butter from being thrown incontact with each other as they are discharged from their dies upon theplatform 7, said platform 7 is intermittingly revolved a slight distanceafter each cake is discharged upon it and remains at rest while theblock of butter is being forced upon it. Motion is communicated to theplatform 7 from the wheel 2 through the gear 18, pinion 29, shaft 30,sprocket-wheel 31, sprocket-chain 32, sprocket-wheel 33, and shaft 34.Shaft- 34 is supported in journalbearings35 and 36, formed in the frame37. The wheel 2 is revolubly supported from the frame 37 upon the shaft38. To provide for starting and stopping the machine without interferingwith the movement of the bandwheel 13, said band-wheel is preferablyrevolubly supported upon the shaft 20 independently of the movement ofsaid shaft and is coupled with said shaft by an ordinary clutch 39,which is keyed to revolve with said shaft 20, while it is adapted to bemoved longitudinally on said shaft by the action of the.

lever 40 into and out of engagement with a corresponding clutch orcollar 41, which is formed integral with the hub of the pulley 13, allof which clutch mechanism is of the ordinary construction. Thus it isobvious that when the clutches 39 and 41 are thrown into engagementmotion will be communicated from the pulley 22 to the shaft 20 and fromthence to the machine, as heretofore described, and that by reversingthe movement of the lever 40 the movement of the machine will be broughtto rest without interfering with the movement of the band-pulley.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A machine for forming butter intoblocks or cakes; comprising a plurality of butterreceiving diessupported upon'a revolublewheel or frame; a piston located in each ofsaid dies; means for automatically forcing said pistons outward to thefront end of said dies; a butter-supply tank supported in contact withthe periphery of said wheel in front of said dies; means forcommunicating an intermittent motion to said wheel, whereby said diesare brought successively to,-and stopped in front of the discharge endof said supply-tank; means for forcing the butter from said supplytankinto said dies against said pistons, whereby said pistons are forced tothe inner end of their retaining-dies; means for retaining said pistonsat the inner end of their movement while passing from the supply-tank tothe place of discharge; and means for moving said pistons forward andforcing the butter from said dies when the latter has reached the pointof discharge, substantially as set forth.

2. A machine for forming butter into blocks or cakes, comprising aplurality of butterreceiving dies supported from a revoluble wheel orframe; a buttersupply tank supported in contact with the periphery ofsaid wheel in front of said dies; a piston located in said supply-tank;means for communicating an intermittent movement to said wheel, wherebysaid dies are brought successively beneath the discharge end of saidtank; means for communicating motion from the source of power to saidpiston and forcing the contents from saidsupply-tank into said dieswhile the same are at rest; means for communicating motion from suchsource of power to said'dieswhile said piston is at rest; means forretaining the pistons in said dies at the inner end of their movement,while. passing from the supplytank to the place of discharge and meansfor forcing said pistons outwardly and discharg ing the contents of saiddieswhen released from their retaining mechanism, substantially as setforth. v

3. A machine for forming butter into blocks or cakes, comprising aplurality of butterreceiving dies supported from a revoluble wheel orframe; a butter supply tank supported in contact with the periphery ofsaid wheel in front of said dies; a piston located in said supply-tank;means for communicating an intermittent movement to said wheel, wherebysaid dies are brought successively beneath the discharge end of saidtank; means for communicating motion from the source of power to saidpiston and forcing the contents from said supply-tank into said diesWhile the same are at rest; means for communicating motion from suchsource of power to said dies while said piston is at rest; means forretaining the pistons in said dies at the inner end of their movement,while passing from the supplytank to the place of discharge; means forforcing said pistons outwardly and discharging the contents of said dieswhen released from their retaining mechanism; a revolving platplatform,all substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures 1n the presence of twowitnesses.

LOREN BENSON. RAY DE FOREST.

Witnesses:

C. 0. MAY, HARRY 0. MAY.

